An exhibition exploring the creative inspiration of renowned British-born fashion designer Paul Smith opened at the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto on the 4th. It also features a digital installation that gives a glimpse into his mind. Exhibition Report 1/2 is here.
■ What's inside Paul's head?
This exhibition also features a video installation. It's a booth that depicts the inside of Paul's mind. Numerous images are projected one after another onto a digital screen, creating a collage-like portrayal of the various scenes that Paul encountered and that likely inspired the textile patterns and colors.
A digital installation expressing what's going on inside Paul's head
■ An exact recreation of Paul's office and design studio
"This exhibition doesn't feature rows of mannequins like a typical fashion exhibition. I think it's an exhibition that clearly communicates how fashion is born at a more fundamental level," says Dejan Sudjic, director of the Design Museum, which organized the exhibition. Paul continues with a smile, "If I were an 18-year-old student, I think I'd be so excited that I wouldn't be able to leave this stimulating exhibition hall for a day."
A booth that recreates a design studio
From patterns to swatches, the design studio has been recreated exactly as it was, and you can see the intention to directly communicate the environment in which creations are born. Images are projected one after another onto the computers on display, and music plays from a radio on a table. The studio has been recreated so realistically that it feels as if Paul and the staff could actually move in this space. The booth makes you imagine that it is in this atmosphere that Paul Smith's creations are born, and it is said to be Director Dejan's favorite booth, as mentioned above.
■ Paul's creations spanning the globe
As the exhibition draws to a close, it transitions to a display that takes concrete forms spun from Paul's mind. The exhibit features the exteriors and interiors of Paul Smith shops in cities around the world, where "no two stores are alike," as well as flooring and motifs that play an important role in shop design.
Then, in the final booth, clothing is on display that fully embodies the skills of fashion designer Paul Smith. Some items convey the sartorial techniques that Paul values, which he learned working for a tailor making formal wear, while others showcase Paul's ideas for adding pop to linings and stitching, which he devised to add "something special to simplicity," something that he holds dear.
Clothes make their first appearance in the final booth
And as you head towards the exit, the exhibition comes to a close with Paul's words, "EVERY DAY IS A NEW BEGINNIGS," written on a large Post-it note stuck to the wall. (If you take a photo here and post it on social media with the hashtag, they will print it out for you on site.)
Paul's message: "EVERY DAY IS A NEW BEGINNIGS"
What I felt through this exhibition was that Paul continues to face his creations with an eye that is always able to say "HELLO" to something new.
"Always looking at the world with fresh eyes," "Having the ability to find something in nothing" -- it is precisely because he has continued to "strain his gaze" in this way for so long that Paul Smith remains Paul Smith.
Even as he collaborates with renowned brands and creators to expand his own brand in 70 countries around the world, the more than 2,800 works gathered in this exhibition teach us that he always questions himself and maintains an eye that allows him to judge "YES" and "NO."
[Exhibition Information]
Paul Smith Exhibition: HELLO, MY NAME IS PAUL SMITH
■ Kyoto Venue
Dates: June 4th to July 18th, 2016
Venue: The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto
■ Tokyo Venue
Dates: July 27th to August 23rd
Venue: The Ueno Royal Museum
■ Nagoya Venue
Dates: September 11th to October 16th
Venue: Matsuzakaya Museum of Art
■ What's inside Paul's head?
This exhibition also features a video installation. It's a booth that depicts the inside of Paul's mind. Numerous images are projected one after another onto a digital screen, creating a collage-like portrayal of the various scenes that Paul encountered and that likely inspired the textile patterns and colors.
A digital installation expressing what's going on inside Paul's head
■ An exact recreation of Paul's office and design studio
"This exhibition doesn't feature rows of mannequins like a typical fashion exhibition. I think it's an exhibition that clearly communicates how fashion is born at a more fundamental level," says Dejan Sudjic, director of the Design Museum, which organized the exhibition. Paul continues with a smile, "If I were an 18-year-old student, I think I'd be so excited that I wouldn't be able to leave this stimulating exhibition hall for a day."
A booth that recreates a design studio
From patterns to swatches, the design studio has been recreated exactly as it was, and you can see the intention to directly communicate the environment in which creations are born. Images are projected one after another onto the computers on display, and music plays from a radio on a table. The studio has been recreated so realistically that it feels as if Paul and the staff could actually move in this space. The booth makes you imagine that it is in this atmosphere that Paul Smith's creations are born, and it is said to be Director Dejan's favorite booth, as mentioned above.
■ Paul's creations spanning the globe
As the exhibition draws to a close, it transitions to a display that takes concrete forms spun from Paul's mind. The exhibit features the exteriors and interiors of Paul Smith shops in cities around the world, where "no two stores are alike," as well as flooring and motifs that play an important role in shop design.
Then, in the final booth, clothing is on display that fully embodies the skills of fashion designer Paul Smith. Some items convey the sartorial techniques that Paul values, which he learned working for a tailor making formal wear, while others showcase Paul's ideas for adding pop to linings and stitching, which he devised to add "something special to simplicity," something that he holds dear.
Clothes make their first appearance in the final booth
And as you head towards the exit, the exhibition comes to a close with Paul's words, "EVERY DAY IS A NEW BEGINNIGS," written on a large Post-it note stuck to the wall. (If you take a photo here and post it on social media with the hashtag, they will print it out for you on site.)
Paul's message: "EVERY DAY IS A NEW BEGINNIGS"
What I felt through this exhibition was that Paul continues to face his creations with an eye that is always able to say "HELLO" to something new.
"Always looking at the world with fresh eyes," "Having the ability to find something in nothing" -- it is precisely because he has continued to "strain his gaze" in this way for so long that Paul Smith remains Paul Smith.
Even as he collaborates with renowned brands and creators to expand his own brand in 70 countries around the world, the more than 2,800 works gathered in this exhibition teach us that he always questions himself and maintains an eye that allows him to judge "YES" and "NO."
[Exhibition Information]
Paul Smith Exhibition: HELLO, MY NAME IS PAUL SMITH
■ Kyoto Venue
Dates: June 4th to July 18th, 2016
Venue: The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto
■ Tokyo Venue
Dates: July 27th to August 23rd
Venue: The Ueno Royal Museum
■ Nagoya Venue
Dates: September 11th to October 16th
Venue: Matsuzakaya Museum of Art
![Paul Smith everywhere! An exhibition exploring the origins of Paul Smith's creativity opens in Kyoto [Report--1/2]](https://wrqc9vvfhu8e.global.ssl.fastly.net/api/image/crop/380x380/images/migration/2016/06/b6f225b9c001078e4fa1a8959d7687cb.jpg)
